Author: Young Investigators Review

The Young Investigators Review is Stony Brook University's undergraduate-oriented, all-inclusive science journal. Founded in 2008, our mission is to provide the student community with a way to learn more about the research currently being done on-campus by their faculty and fellow peers. We feature articles that span all fields, from Physics to Neuroscience, as well as original student research reports straight from the campus laboratories. Our journal offers aspiring talented future researchers and physicians a way to hone their science writing skills and spread word of their experiences to inspire incoming students to think about devoting their futures to the various fields of science.
Cancer, Drug Discovery

Costunolide: A Potential Drug Molecule for Fighting Gastric Cancer

Nomrota Majumder ‘21 Costunolide, a sesquiterpene lactone extracted from Radix Aucklandiae, is shown to have powerful activity against multiple cancer forms. However, the effects of costunolide has not yet been investigated with gastric cancer, or the formation and growth of malignant cancer cells lining the stomach. As the fifth most common cancer in the world, and the third leading cause of cancer related death in … Continue reading Costunolide: A Potential Drug Molecule for Fighting Gastric Cancer

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Health

The Comparison of the Lipid Profiles and Fatigue Levels of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 In patients suffering from multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue is a very common and debilitating symptom that differs greatly from the fatigue that is commonly associated with other diseases. This is because of the nature of MS, which results from a degradation of the central nervous system as well as a breakdown of the blood-brain barrier. Drugs prescribed for MS-induced fatigue are limited … Continue reading The Comparison of the Lipid Profiles and Fatigue Levels of Multiple Sclerosis Patients

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Psychology

Physical Performance and Mental Fatigue in Athletes

Kavindra Sahabir ‘21 It is common knowledge that athletes are required to be physically fit in order ensure optimal performance when they compete in a physically demanding sport. Athletes must also maintain good mental health in order to perform well, however, an athlete’s mental state is much harder to assess than his or her physical state. One’s physical condition can certainly affect his or her … Continue reading Physical Performance and Mental Fatigue in Athletes

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Brain, Cognition

Effects of Dopamine in Value-Based Learning

Allan Mai ‘20 Dopamine is a neurotransmitter with implicated functions involving value-based learning. Researchers have discovered that dopamine signals reward prediction and incentive motivation when the brain is actively utilizing its decision making and value-based learning functions. Additionally, dopamine receptors in the brain can be divided into two groups, D1 and D2, which have opposite functions in terms of reward related and aversion related behaviors. … Continue reading Effects of Dopamine in Value-Based Learning

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Depression, Psychiatry

Potentials of Ketamine in Treating Depression

Allan Mai ‘20 Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a psychiatric illness affecting people on a global scale. There are very few drugs to treat this disorder, but the ones that do exist aim to alter the levels of neurotransmitters in the body. Ketamine is one of these drugs, and researchers have recently shown that the efficacy of the drug might be doubled as a result … Continue reading Potentials of Ketamine in Treating Depression

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Brain, Cognition

Effects of GVS Signals on Cognitive Functions

Allan Mai ‘20 The hippocampus and striatal circuits play essential roles in spatial navigation. This task is completed by integrating information from the environment as well as intrinsic input from the vestibular system which is responsible for balance. Scientists are trying to modify the interaction of the hippocampus and striatal circuits by using the galvanic vestibular system (GVS), and researchers from the German Center for … Continue reading Effects of GVS Signals on Cognitive Functions

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Degenerative Disease, Neuroscience

Molecular Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease Between Male and Female Patients

By Nicole Zhao ‘20  Alzheimer’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that causes memory, cognitive  and behavioral problems (1). In the United States, approximately 5.5 million people live with Alzheimer’s with two-thirds being women (2). Although  Alzheimer’s treatments are heavily researched, the impact of sex on the molecular level of the disease has not been explored. In this article, sex refers to the physiological and biological … Continue reading Molecular Differences in Alzheimer’s Disease Between Male and Female Patients

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Ecology

Why the Highveld Mole Rat Does Not Sense Pain

By Nicole Zhao ‘20  Plants and insects alike often use algogens, noxious substances, as defensive weapons against predators (1). Predators, such as humans, detect these algogens via the receptors of nociceptive sensory neurons and are warned to back off(2). It has previously been shown that Heterocephalus glaber, otherwise known as the naked mole rat, shows no pain behavior when exposed to hydrogen chloride and capsaicin, … Continue reading Why the Highveld Mole Rat Does Not Sense Pain

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Disease

Distinct Fibroblast Subsets Drive Inflammation and Damage in Arthritis

By Nicole Zhao ‘20  Arthritis is an inflammation of one or more joints with symptoms such as joint pain and stiffness (1). One common type of arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis, an inflammatory disease in which the immune system targets the synovial membrane of the joints and causes joint damage (1). The synovial membrane normally protects and lubricates the joints. Previous studies have found that the … Continue reading Distinct Fibroblast Subsets Drive Inflammation and Damage in Arthritis

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Exercise, Health

Exercise and Longevity in Women

By Mariam Malik ‘22 Daily exercise has been proven to significantly reduce stress and increase happiness and longevity. It has been assumed that 10,000 steps per day were needed to feel these boosts in dopamine and energy, but a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine provides experimental evidence that the recommended number of steps to feel the positive effects of walking is actually fewer … Continue reading Exercise and Longevity in Women

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